Door holder and closer



March 5, 1957 T. w. DUNCAN DOOR HOLDER AND CLOSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18. 1953 I IN; 'ENTOR. (7 fianmn BAY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 18, 1953 INVENTOR.

March 5, 1957 T. w. DUNCAN DOOR HOLDER AND CLOSER Filed Sept. 18, 1953 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

United States Patent DOOR HOLDER AND CLOSER Thomas W. Duncan, Bedford, Ind., assignor to Whirlpool- Seeger Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 18, 1953, Serial No. 380,997

17 Claims. (CI. 16-80) The present invention relates to door holders and closers, and is particularly concerned with devices for holding a refrigerator door in predetermined open positions and for closing the door from any other position or from the open positions when the door is given a push in the closing direction.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved door holding and closing device which is adapted to assure the closing of a refrigerator door, and which is also adapted to hold the door in an open position at substantially 90 degrees to the front of the cabinet or in a second open position at substantially 145 degrees relative to its closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved door closing device which is simple in construction, positive in action, capable of economical manufacture, which includes a minimumnumber of parts and which is adapted to prevent the door from swinging far enough to strain the hinges.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved spring-biased door closing and holding mechanism, in which a single spring accomplishes the functions of closing the door, holding it in open position at substantially 90 degrees, or holding it in open position at substantially 145 degrees, relative to its closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved door holding and closing mechanism for refrigerator cabinets, the major portion of which may be concealed below the bottom panel of the shell, and which has no exposed mechanism except the door actuating arm which is arranged at the bottom of the door near the hinge in such manner that it does not obstruct thespace in front of the cabinet when the door is in either one of its open positions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, of which there are three sheets, accompanying this specification,

Fig. l is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the door holding and closing mechanism, as seen from the bottom of the cabinet, with the door in closed position in full lines and shown in dotted lines in the wide open position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view taken on the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts of the mechanism in the positions which they assume when the door is in its wide open position of substantially 145 degrees;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary bottom plan view showing the positions of the parts when the door is in the 90 degree position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5--5 of Fig. 1, showing the details of construction of the door bracket by means of which the arm is attached to the refrigerator door;

2,783,492 Patented Mar, 5, 1957 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6'6 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the details of construction of a sliding connection between a guiding lever and the cabinet;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 77 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows, showing the details of construction at the point of attachment of the spring to the door actuating arm; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the attachment of the supporting plates to the bottom panel of the cabinet, the guiding lever being omitted in this view. I

Referring to Figs. 1- and 2, the invention is shown in connection with a refrigerator cabinet having an outer shell 10, provided with side walls 11, 12, and with a bottom panel 13.

The side walls and bottom panel have integral facing flanges 14 on the front of the cabinet to be engaged by the rubber door seal 15, which extends all around the door adjacent the four edges of the door 16.

The door 16 comprises a front panel 17, a rear panel 18, and a bottom plate 19 constructed in the conventional way and filled with insulation.

The door is attached to the cabinet at either the right side or the left by means of suitable hinges 20, having a pintle 21 and a pair of hinge parts 22, 23, joined by means of the pintle 21.

The bottom panel 13 of the cabinet is provided with four foot pads 24, having attaching flanges 25 welded to the bottom panel, and having downwardly projecting supporting surfaces 26 for engaging the floor, thereby spacing the bottom panel from the floor.

The present door holding and closing mechanism includes a door actuating lever 27, a biasing spring 28, a combined guide and stop lever 29, a supporting plate 30, and other suitable securing devices further to be described.

The door actuating lever 27 may consist of a bar of suitable metal, such assteel, which is provided at the door end with'an aperture 31, Fig. 5, adapted to serve as a bearing for engaging the cylindrical shank portion 32 of a pivot screw 33.

Pivot screw 33..has a'hexagonal head 34, and the cylindrical shank portion 32, ending at an annular shoulder 35. The annular shoulder 35 is adapted to engage a washer 36, and the washer has a through bore 37 for receiving the reduced cylindrical portion 38, which also extends into a bore 39 in a mounting bracket 40.

The mounting bracket 40 may comprise a tapered cupshaped sheet metal member having an attaching flange 41 welded to the bottom 19 of the door adjacent the hinge 20. Mounting bracket 40 has its bottom provided with the bore 39 and the pivot-screw 33 has a reduced threaded portion 42, which is engaged in a tubular threaded member 43, and which may have its attaching flange 44 welded on the inside of the mounting bracket 40.

Thus the pivot screw 33 may be fixedly secured to the mounting bracket 40 in such manner that the annular shoulder 35 assures a clearance at 45 between the actuating arm 27 and the washer 36.

A second washer 46 may be located between the head 34 and the arm 27 on the pivot screw 33. Thus the actuating arm 27 is pivotally secured at one end to the door adjacent the hinge. Arm 27 may in some embodiments of the invention be a straight bar, but in order to provide for a wide-open position of the door and to permit the arm to extend around the adjacent foot pad 24, arm 27 preferably has a laterally curved portion 47 at its end opposite to the door. The manner in which this curved portion extends about the foot pad can be seen in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 7, the door actuating arm 27 is pro vided with a cylindrical bore 48, adjacent its curved end, for receiving a spring mounting screw 49.

The bore 48 is threaded to receive the threaded shank 50 of the spring mounting screw which is also provided with a spring washer 51 and a nut 52. The nut is driven tightly against the washer 51 and arm 27 so that the spring mounting screw 49 is rigidly attached to the arm 27.

Spring mounting screw 49 also has an enlarged cylindricai trunnion portion 53, upon which there is mounted an annular roller 54, held in place by the hexagonal head 55. The roller 54 has a rotating fit in a bore 56 in the combined stop and guide lever 29, so that the spring mounting screw 49 provides a pivotal connection with a roller for freer movement between the arm 27 and the combined stop and guide lever 29.

In addition to providing a pivot the screw 49 has a head 58 upon its lower end, and the head 53 is separated from the threaded shank by an annular groove 59, the base of which has a circular curvature at 60. Groove 59 provides a point of attachment for one end of the spring 28, which is formed with a circular hook 61 to be mounted about the curved portion in the groove 59.

The other end of the spring 28 also has a curved hook 62, and the spring 28 may comprise a closely wound helical coil spring, the turns of which. engage each other when the spring is fully contracted. In use the spring is provided with an initial tension, being extended in the position of Fig. 1, to give it this tension.

The hook 62 of the spring is secured to a spring mounting bracket 63, which comprises two parts, a mounting angle 64 and an adjustment angle 65.

The mounting angle 64 has one flange welded to the bottom panel 13. The other downwardly extending flange has a plurality of holes for screw bolts 66. The adjustment angle 65 has a plurality of holes 67 in one flange for receiving the hooked end 62 of the spring 28.

The other flange has a plurality of threaded bores 68 registering with the screw bolts 66 to permit adjustment of the position of the adjustment angle to increase or diminish the tension of the spring 28.

The combined guide and stop lever 29 comprises a strap of suitable metal, such as steel, having the bore 56 at one end for reception of the spring mounting screw 49 and its roller 54. At its other end lever 29 has an elongated parallel sided slot or aperture '69 for slidably and pivotally receiving the threaded pivot screw 70.

The details of pivot screw 70 are shown in Fig. 6, and this screw has a hexagonal head 71 and a substantially cylindrical shank 72 adapted to receive a washer 73 and a roller 74, which is mounted in the slot 69 of lever 29.

The pivot screw 70 has an annular shoulder at 75 adapted to engage a washer 76, which in turn engages a triangular plate 30, and the pivot screw has a threaded end 77, which passes through an aperture 78 in the bottom panel 13, and is threaded into a threaded bore 79 in a tubular nut 89, having its attaching flange 81 welded to the upper side of the bottom panel 13;

Thus the annular shoulder 75 may engage the washer 76, plate 30, and bottom panel 13 and secure all of these parts rigidly together while providing a suitable clearance at 82 on the faces of the lever 29, which slide and rotate on the roller 74.

The triangular plate 30 serves to mount and guide the lever 29, and triangular plate 30 is provided with apertures at its three corners for receiving the screw bolts 70, 83 and 84.

The screw bolt 70 supports the. triangular plate 30 on the bottom panel and provides sliding and pivotal mount-v ing for the lever 29. In addition to the plate 30 the 4 screw bolts 83, 84 support a guide strap 85 of metal, the structure of which is shown in Fig. 8.

This guide strap appears above the lever 29 in Fig. l, which means that guide strap 85 is below the lever 29 on the cabinet. The lever 29 is slidably mounted between the guide strap 85 and the plate 30, and the guide strap 85 maintains the parallelism of lever 29 and arm 27 with the bottom panel.

If it were not for guide strap 85 the arm 27 might eventually become loose and sag at its curved end, but this is provided for by the guide strap 85. Guide strap 85 has an attaching flange 86, Fig. 8, with an aperture 87 for receiving the screw bolt 84.

The triangular plate 30 has an aperture 88, and there i is a registering aperture 89 in the bottom panel 13. A tubular nut 90 is provided with internal threads 91 for receiving the threaded shank 92 of screw bolt 84.

Attaching flange 93 of the tubular nut 90 is welded to the inside of the bottom panel 13, with its bore in registry with the hole 89. Thus the screw bolt 84 clamps the triangular plate 30 and guide strap 85 fixedly to the bottom panel.

Guide strap 85 has a downward ohset at 94 so that its guiding portion 95 is spaced from the triangular plate 30. The other end of the strap 85 has an aperture 96 for receiving the cylindrical portion 97 of screw bolt 83.

Cylindrical portion 97 carries an annular roller 98. Roller 98. is adapted to engage the edge of lever 29 when the parts are in the position of Fig. 3 or Fig. 4. In Fig. 4 there is no roller action as the roller serves only as a part of a stop which also includes the screw bolt.

When the door passes from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 3, the lever 29 slides against the roller 98, and friction is reduced by use of the roller. Screw bolt 83 has an annular shoulder at 99 for engaging the triangular plate 30, which has a bore 100.

The bottom plate 13 has an aperture 101 for passing the screw bolt, and the threaded portion 102 of the screw bolt is threaded into a tubular out 103, the attaching flange 164 of which is welded to the upper side of bottom panel 13. Thus the screw bolt 83 clamps the triangular plate 30 against the bottom panel 13 and provides a support with clearance for the roller 98, and also holds the strap 85 parallel to the bottom panel.

The screw bolt 83 and roller 98 serve as a stop for determining the 90 degree position of the door shown.

in Fig. 4; but another stop 105 is provided for determining the wide-open position of the door, as shown in Fig. 3.

Stop 105 is an angle bracket having its attaching flange 106 secured to the bottom panel by screw bolts 107. Stop 105 has a transverse flange 108 adapted to engage a transverse stop flange 109 on the arm 27, when the parts reach the position of Fig. 3. This position is one in which the line of centers between the axis of pivot bolt 49- and the pivot bolt 33 passes slightly below the axis of pintle 21 of the hinge.

This line of centers is indicated by a dot-dash line 110 in Figs. 3 and 4. in Fig. 4 it will be observed that the line of centers 110 is spaced from the pintle 21 of the hinge; In Fig. 3 this line of centers 110 has passed the axis of the pintle 21. This means that the spring 28, which is under tension, is pulling on the arm 27, along a line behind the axis of the pintle.

Therefore, the spring is tending to hold the door in the wide-open position of Fig. 3. This wide-open position has been chosen at substantially degrees, and this is merely exemplary of one position which may be desirable for a second position of door opening.

The door may be arranged to be held open at various angles, depending upon the proportion of the parts. The curved end portion 47 of the arm 27 has been curved in order that; the arm 27 might extend around the adjacent foot pad 24. This curvature permits the foot pad to be era located well forward on the bottom of the bottompanel of the cabinet in its customary position.

The operation of the door holder and closer is as follows:

The spring 28 tends to close the door except when it is in the position of Fig. 3 or the position of Fig. 4. Spring 28 exerts a tension on the pivot screw 49 at an angle to the guide lever 29. This places the guide lever 29 under a certain amount of compression in Fig. l, which is resisted by the screw bolt 70 engaging the end of the slot aperture 69.

The force exerted by spring 28 on the end of arm 27 may be resolved into two components, one extending in the direction of the lever 29, as shown by arrow 111, and the other extending at right angles thereto and away from the door, as shown by arrow 112.

It is the component 112- of the force exerted by spring 28 which tends to pull the door closed. The 'door is provided with the customary latch for holding it in closed position (not shown) and the strength of the spring 28 is sutficient to move the door with sutficient momentum to engage and close the latch.

When the door is opened by the use of the usual handle (not shown) the door, by means of arm pivot 33, exerts a pull on the arm 27. Arm 27 moves substantially in the direction of its length and moves the pivot 49 through an arc, the center of which is the axis of pivot screw 70.

The spring 28 continues to resist opening movement of the door until the line of centers of attachment of the spring passes the axis of pivot 70, as shown in Fig. 4. Here the line of centers is indicated by a dot-dash line 113, Fig. 4, extending from hook 62 to pivot 49.

The opening movement of the door continues until the door reaches the wide-open position of Fig. 4, at which time the lever 29 engages the screw bolt 83, which acts as a stop with its roller 98. During this movement of the lever 29 it is guided by the strap 85, which keeps the lever 29 at the same spacing with respect to the bottom panel.

During this movement the spring 28 constantly draws the lever 29 toward the left so that pivot screw 70 is at the right end of the slot 69.

In the position of Fig. 4 the spring 28 has its axis above the axis of the pivot bolt 70 and spring 28 tends to pull the lever 29 counterclockwise, holding the lever 29 against the stop bolt 83. Thus at the 90 degree position the spring no longer tends to close the, door but it is used to hold the door in this position. i

If the door is pushed from the position of Fig. 4, toward the closed position, the line of centers 113 of the spring attachments will pass dead-center at 70 and thereafter the spring will pull the door shut.

The present mechanism provides for two open positions of the door, the second one being shown in Fig. 3. When the door is moved from the position of Fig. 4, toward that of Fig. 3, that is, farther open, the arm 27 cannot move the lever 29 any farther in a counterclockwise direction.

The pull of the arm 27 on the pivot 49 moves the lever 29 in the direction of its length. Lever 29 has its slot 69 sliding on the screw bolt 70, and it has its edge sliding on the roller 98, moving to the position of Fig. 3.

This movement continues with the door opening until the door reaches the position of Fig. 3, in which the stop flange 109 on the arm 27 has engaged the stop flange 108 of the stop bracket 105 on the cabinet.

This stop 105 is so located that the line of centers between the screw bolt 49 and the screw bolt 33 has passed the axis of the pintle 21, being below that pintle, as shown by the line 110 in Fig. 3. In this position the spring does not tend to close the door because the spring 28 exerts a crosswise torque on the arm 27, while the line of centers is below the pintle of the hinge.

Therefore, the spring tends to hold the door in the position of Fig. 3, and the door may be located at 90 degrees or at substantially 145 degrees, where it will be held by the mechanism.

It is only necessary to give the door a start toward the closing position and the door will be moved to fully closed position by the spring 28. This takes place as follows:

As soon as the door moves toward closure, from the position of Fig. 3, sufliciently to cause the line of centers to pass the pintle axis 21, then the spring exerts a pull in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 3, tending to close the door. The door moves toward closed position, the spring 28 contracting, and the lever 29 moving to the left to the position of Fig. 4.

When the door has reached the position of Fig. 4 there is a slight tendency of the spring to hold the door in this position, but that tendency is overcome by the momentum of the door as the holding forces are not sufficient to hold the door still when it is moving. Therefore, the door continues to move from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 1', in which it is fully closed.

The present mechanism is simple, yet very effective, and it has a minimum number of parts. The angle bracket mounting for one end of the spring permits adjustment of the line of centers of the spring and of the tension of the spring, which may be necessary due to the inaccuracies which result from mass production.

It will thus be observed that I have invented an improved door closer which will close the door whenever it is started toward closed position, but which will hold the door open at 90 degrees or at a wide-open position, such as, for example degrees.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a door holding and closing assembly for a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel, a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor, comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adjacent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement toward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge, a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position and a second stop carried by said bottom panel, the said lever being arranged to slide on said stop member in the direction of the length of said lever, further extending said spring to permit said door to move to a further wide open position at which said arm engages said second stop.

2. In a door holding and closing assembly for a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel, a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor, comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adja cent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said armand having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement to-.

ward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring 7 a having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge, a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position and a second stop carried by said bottom panel, the said lever being arranged to slide on said stop member in the direction of the length of said lever, further extending said spring to permit said door to move to a further wide open position at which said arm engages said second stop, the said pivotal and sliding mounting of said: lever on said bottom panel comprising a fixed stud carried by the bottom panel engaged in an elongated slot in said lever.

3. In a door holding and closing assembly for a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel, a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor, comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adjacent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement toward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge, a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position and a second stop carried by said bottom panel, the said lever being arranged to slide on said stop member in the direction of the length of said lever, further extending said spring to permit said door to move to a further Wide open position at which said arm engages said second stop, the said pivotal and sliding mounting of said lever on said bottom panel comprising a fixed stud carried by the bottom panel engaged in an elongated slot in said lever, the said stud being so located inwardly from the front of the cabinet bottom panel so that the spring is slightly eontractcd in the ninety degree position of the door, thus tending to hold the door in that position, the extension of the spring being required in the closing movement of the door.

4. In a door holding and closing assembly for a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel, a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor, comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adjacent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement toward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge, and a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position, a second stop carried by said bottom panel, the said door heingmovable to a further wide open position in which the arm causes the said lever to slide on its mounting on the bottom panel, further extending the spring, the said arm engaging said second stop member at said further wide open position.

5. In a door holding and closing assembly for a retrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel, a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor, comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adjacent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement toward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge,

and a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position, a second stop carried by said bottom panel, the said door being movable to a further wide open position in which the arm causes the said lever to slide on its mounting on the bottom panel, further extending the spring, the said arm engaging said second stop member, the said stop being so located that the line of centers between the pivotal attachment of the arm to the door and the arm to the spring has passed the axis of the hinge, at said further wide open position of the door.

6. In a door holding and closing assembly for a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom panel a door provided with a bottom plate, and hinged to said cabinet, and feet carried by the bottom. panel, spacing the cabinet from the floor comprising a door actuating arm having one end pivotally secured to the bottom plate of the door adjacent the door hinge, a lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and having its opposite end pivotally and slidably mounted on the bottom panel for movement toward and away from the door hinge, a tension spring having one end attached to the bottom panel and the other end attached to the point of pivotal connection of said arm and lever, said spring pulling said arm and lever in such a direction as to cause the lever to slide to the limit of its sliding movement, away from the door hinge, and a stop member carried by the bottom panel and adapted to engage said lever when the door has moved to an open position of substantially ninety degrees, preventing further pivotal movement of the lever in the direction of door opening to hold the door in this open position, a second stop carried by said bottompanel, the said door being movable to a further wide open position in which the arm causes the said lever a slide on its mounting on the bottom panel, further extending the spring, the said arm engaging said second stop member, the said stop being so located that the line of centers between the pivotal attachment of the arm to the door and the arm to the spring has passed the axis of the hinge, at said further wide open position of the door, the said arm having a laterally curved end for extending about the adjacent foot of the refrigerator cabinet, and permitting the foot to be located well forward on the bottom panel.

7. In a door holding and closing mechanism, the combination of a supporting plate of substantially triangular shape provided with holes adjacent its three corners, mounting studs for securing the plate to a bottom panel of a refrigerator by passing through said apertures, one of said mounting studs having a cylindrical portion for accommodating a sliding lever, a sliding lever having a longitudinal slot mounted on said latter stud, a door actuating. arm pivotally secured to the other end of said lever, said arm being provided with a pivot at its other a "Jaw end and with a mounting bracket to mount said pivot on the bottom of a refrigerator door, a tension spring having one end attached to the point of pivotal connection between said lever and arm, and a spring mounting bracket carried by the other end of said spring to be attached to said bottom panel.

8. In a door holding and closing mechanism, the combination of a supporting plate of substantially triangular shape provide with holes adjacent its three corners, mounting studs for securing the plate to a bottom panel of a refrigerator by passing through said apertures, one of said mounting studs having a cylindrical portion for accommodating a sliding lever, a sliding lever having a longitudinal slot mounted on said latter stud, a door actuating arm pivotally secured to the other end of said lever, said arm being provided with a pivot at its other end and with a mounting bracket to mount said pivot on the bottom of a refrigerator door, a tension spring having one end attached to the point of pivotal connection between said lever and arm, and a spring mounting bracket carried by the other end of said spring to be attached to said bottom panel, said spring mounting bracket comprising a part to be permanently secured to the bottom panel and a second part adjustably mounted thereon and provided with a plurality of portions which are each adapted to anchor one end of the spring for adjusting the tension of the spring.

9. In a door holding and closing mechanism, the combination of a-supporting plate of substantially triangular shape provided with holes adjacent its three corners, mounting studs for securing the plate to a bottom panel of a refrigerator by passing through said apertures, one of said mounting studs having a cylindrical portion for accommodating a sliding lever, a sliding lever having a longitudinal slot mounted on said latter stud, a door actuating arm pivotally secured to the other end of said lever, said arm being provided with a pivot at its other end and with a mounting bracket to mount said pivot on the bottom of a refrigerator door, a tension spring having one end attached to the point of pivotal connection between said lever and arm, and a spring mounting bracket carried by the other end of said spring to be attached to said bottom panel, the said arm being provided intermediate its ends with a transversely extending stop flange, and said bottom panel being provided with a stop member carried thereby for engaging said flange when the door is in wide open position.

10. In a door holding and closing mechanism, the combination of a supporting plate of substantially triangular shape provided with holes adjacent its three corners, mounting studs for securing the plate to a bottom panel of a refrigerator by passing through said apertures, one of said mounting studs having a cylindrical portion for accommodating a sliding lever, a sliding lever having a longitudinal slot mounted on said latter stud, a door actuating arm pivotally secured to the other end of said lever, said arm being provided with a pivot at its other end and with a mounting bracket to mount said pivot on the bottom of a refrigerator door, a tension spring having one end attached to the point of pivotal connection between said lever and arm, and a spring mounting bracket carried by the other end of said spring to be attached to said bottom panel, the pivot between said lever and arm comprising a threaded stud provided with a roller, and having a head and a securing nut and a grooved portion for engaging a hook on said spring.

11. In a door closing mechanism for pivotally hinged refrigerator cabinet doors, the improvement which comprises a door holding and closing arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the door, a guiding and stop lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and extending forwardly and away from the hinges, means for mounting said lever at its other end to pivot and slide relative to the refrigerator cabinet, a tension spring secured to said'arm at the point of its pivotal engagement. with said lever, the other end of said spring being secured by a mounting bracket to the cabinet bottom said spring normally urging said lever forwardly upon its mounting means, and stop means carried by the cabinet bottom for engaging said lever and limiting its forward movement, the point of attachment of the spring to the cabinet bottom being such that the spring tends to pull said lever against said stop means to hold the door in a substantially right angle position to which it is opened, but upon movement of the door from this position the spring tends to pull the door to closed position, said mounting means comprising a fixed mounting stud carried by the cabinet bottom, and having a cylindrical portion mounted in a longitudinal slot in said lever.

12. In a door closing mechanism for pivotally hinged refrigerator cabinet doors, the improvement which comprises a door holding and closing arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the door, a guiding and stop lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and extending forwardly and away from the hinges, means for mounting said lever at its other end to pivot and slide relative to the refrigerator cabinet, a tension spring secured to said arm at the point of its pivotal engagement with said lever, the other end of said spring being secured by a mounting bracket to the cabinet bottom, said spring normally urging said lever forwardly upon its mounting means, and stop means carried by the cabinet bottom for engaging said lever and limiting its forward movement, the point of attachment of the spring to the cabinet bottom being such that the spring tends to pull said lever against said stop means to hold the door in a substantially right angle position to which it is opened, but upon movement of the door from this position the spring tends to pull the door to closed position, said mounting means comprising a fixed mounting stud carried by the cabinet bottom, and having a cylindrical portion mounted in a longitudinal slot in said lever, and guide means for maintaining the parallelism of the lever and arm with the cabinet bottom.

13. In a door closing mechanism for pivotally hinged refrigerator cabinet doors, the improvement which comprises a door holding and closing arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the door, a guiding and stop lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and extending forwardly and away from the hinges, means for mounting said lever at its other end to pivot and slide relative to the refrigerator cabinet, a tension spring secured to said arm at the point of its pivotal engagement with said lever, the other end of said spring being secured by a mounting bracket to the cabinet bottom, said spring normally urging said lever forwardly upon its mounting means, and stop means carried by the cabinet bottom for engaging said lever and limiting its forward movement, the point of attachment of the spring to the cabinet bottom being such that the spring tends to pull said lever against said stop means to hold the door in a substantially right angle position to which it is opened, but upon movement of the door from this position the spring tends to pull the door to closed position, said mounting means comprising a fixed mounting stud carried by the cabinet bottom, and having a cylindrical portion mounted in a longitudinal slot in said lever, and guide means for maintaining the parallelism of the lever and arm with the cabinet bottom, the said guide means comprising a strap extending transversely to said lever, below said lever, and spaced from the cabinet bottom.

14. In a door closing mechanism for pivotally hinged refrigerator cabinet doors, the improvement which comprises a door holding and closing arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the door, a guiding and stop lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and extending forwardly and away from the hinges, means for mounting said lever at its other end to pivot and slide relative to the refrigerator cabinet, a tension spring secured to said arm at the point of its pivotal engagement with said lever, the other end of said spring being secured by a mounting bracket to the cabinet bottom, said spring normally urging said lever forwardly upon its mounting means, and stop means carried by the cabinet bottom for engaging said lever and limiting its forward movement, the point of attachment of the spring to the cabinet bottom being such that the spring tends to pull said lever against said stop means to hold the door in a substantially right angle position to which it is opened, but upon movement of the door from this position the spring tends to pull the door to closed position, said mounting means comprising a fixed mounting stud carried by the cabinet bottom, and having a cylindrical portion mounted in a longitudinal slot in said lever, and guide means for maintaining the parallelism of the lever and arm with the cabinet bottom, the said guide means comprising a strap extending transversely to said lever, below said lever, and spaced from the cabinet bottom, the said arm having a transversely extending stop surface, and a stop member carried by the cabinet bottom, the said lever sliding relative to its mounting stud, and the said spring extending while engaging the stop means when the door is moved to a wide open position limited by engagernent of said stop on said arm with the stop member on the bottom of the cabinet.

15. In a door closing mechanism for pivotally hinged refrigerator cabinet doors, the improvement which comprises a door holding and closing arm adapted to be pivotally secured to the door, a guiding and stop lever pivotally secured to the other end of said arm and extending forwardly and away from the hinges, means for mounting said lever at its other end to pivot and slide relative to the refrigerator cabinet, a tension spring secured to said arm at the point of its pivotal engagement with said lever, the other end of said spring being secured by a mounting bracket to the cabinet bottom, said spring normally urging said lever forwardly upon its mounting means, and stop means carried by the cabinet bottom for engaging said lever and limiting its forward movement, the point of attachment of the spring to the cabinet bottom being such that the spring tends to pull said lever against said stop means to hold the door in a substantially right angle position to which it is opened, but upon movement of the door from this position the spring tends to pull the door to closed position, said mounting means comprising a fixed mounting stud carried by the cabinet bottom, and having a cylindrical portion mounted in a longitudinal slot in said lever, and guide means for maintaining the parallelism of the lever and arm with the cabinet bottom, the said guide means comprising a strap extending transversely to said lever, below said lever, and spaced from the cabinet bottom, the said arm having a transversely extending stop surface, and a stop member carried by the cabinet bottom, the said lever sliding relative to its mounting stud, and the said spring extending while engaging the stop means when the door is moved to a wide open position limited by engagement of said stop on said arm with the stop member on the bottom of the cabinet, the line of centers of the pivotal engagement of the arm with the cabinet and the pivotal engagement of the arm with the lever passing the axis of the hinges to permit the spring to hold'the door in said open position.

16. In a door" holding and closing mechanism, for a cabinet having a door opening and a door pivotally mounted for opening and closing by butt hinges secured to the edge of the door and to the cabinet, an arm having one end pivotally mounted on said door adjacent the axis of said hinges, resilient means attached to the other end of said arm and to said cabinet adjacent said door opening, for exerting a pull on said arm in a lateral direction, lever means having one end pivotally secured to said other end of said arm, and having its other end pivotally and slidably secured to said cabinet at a point where the axis of the resilient means moves outwardly past the pivotal connection of the lever means to the cabinet, said lever means guiding the other end of said arm rearwardly and laterally as the door closes from a right angle half open position, and using the lateral component of the force of said spring to close the door, stop means engaged by said lever to limit its forward movement after the resilient means has passed said point where it is pulling said lever against said stop means to hold the door in said half open position, a second stop means carried by said cabinet, said lever sliding in the direction of its length, upon further opening of the door, further extending said spring and permitting the door to move to wide open position until said arm engages said second stop means carried by said cabinet.

17. In a door holding and closing mechanism, for a cabinet having a door opening and a door pivotally mounted for opening and closing by butt hinges secured to the edge of the door and to the cabinet, an arm having one end pivotally mounted on said door adjacent the axis of said hinges, resilient means attached to the other end of said arm and to said cabinet adjacent said door opening, for exerting a pull on said arm in a lateral direction, lever means having one end pivotally secured to said other end of said arm, and having its other end pivotally and slidably secured to said cabinet at a point where the axis of the resilient means moves outwardly past the pivotal connection of the lever means to the cabinet, said lever means guiding the other end of said arm rearwardly and laterally as the door closes from a right angle half open position, and using the lateral component of the force of said spring to close the door, stop means engaged by said lever to limit its forward movement after the resilient means has passed said point where it is pulling said lever against said stop means to hold the door in said half open position, a second stop means carried by said cabinet, said lever sliding in the direction of its length, upon further opening of the door, further extending said spring and permitting the door to move to wide open position until said arm engages said second stop means carried by said cabinet, said second stop means being located to engage said arm whereby the pull of said spring tends to draw both the lever and the arm against their respective stop means to hold the door in wide open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,296 Gosling Oct. 28, 1890 474,268 Sidenstricker May 3, 1892 2,088,888 Wagner Aug. 3, 1937 2,392,689 Peglow Jan. 8, 1946 2,639,462 Fish May 26, 1953 

